Reflection
by Smidgie
Summary: The last few and illfated days of Narcissus. Love makes us do strange things. Please read and review.


Hello, everyone. Before I stop procrastinating and let you read this, I feel compelled to warn you. This is slash. While I have no problem with it, no doubt some eleven years olds and other assorted prudes do. So, if you don't like that type of stuff, then go 'way. But if you do, then I will still warn you. This is not ordinary slash. This is some weird psycho in love with his own reflection. And if you don't know who Narcissus is, then what the hell are you doing reading Greek mythology fiction?

(Basically, he was some creep who pissed off the wrong goddess, so she made him fall in love with the person he loved most. Himself.)

Disclaimer: . . . oh, sod that!

* * *

He was so beautiful, he thought with a sigh. Narcissus smiled, and was delighted when his beloved smiled back, watching Narcissus with love brimming in his eyes. In the minute part of him not awestruck by his beloved's beauty, Narcissus wondered how he could have lived without this feeling of utter fulfilment. 

Narcissus had not always been this way, he knew. Once he was shallow and petty, turning down all those women and nymphs and sprites that fawned on him with false affection in their eyes as dull as ditchwater. And he knew he had been cruel to them – a fact his kind-hearted love had chastised him for. But that was before, before he fell in love.

He had only Aphrodite to thank for his change, for these incredible feelings bubbling over in his heart and spilling out like the most precious of jewels through the holes of his eyes. He must tell the world of the beauty of his beloved, he decided. He would have to leave him. He sighed, and waved a farewell to his love. His love waved back. Narcissus turned away.

But what was this? An aching, hollow sensation filled his body. Ice replaced the blood in his veins. He groaned, and clutched his heart. Dimly, through a haze of loss, he noticed his love doing the same. His vision cleared, and the pain went away as he looked upon his beloved. His beloved was calmed now, watching him peacefully. Narcissus decided. If leaving caused this much pain to his love, he would never leave again. And then his love would be happy. And so would he.

Time was immaterial. With his love, a second could pass as a day. Narcissus lost himself in his beloved's eyes. He was aware and yet he was not. At first no one noticed. But then his parents came. They brought food, but Narcissus could not spare the time to eat. Night fell, and yet he admired his beloved by Selene's light. When Helios peered over the horizon Narcissus did not notice. The outside world had ceased to exist to him. His body was just a shell and, with the luminescence of love behind his will, Narcissus could ignore its desires. It did not matter. Nothing did, anymore.

Narcissus shook himself from his reverie. His love looked back at him with agonised eyes. They were red-rimmed, sunken, and his love's beautiful body was emaciated with lack of food. How could he have missed it? Narcissus wondered. How could he have not seen his love was dying? His beloved stared up at him. _Release me_, it begged. _I beseech you, Narcissus, let me go!_

But he did not know how.

"I would, if I could!" he shouted at his darling. But his beloved would not listen!

_Release me!_

"I do not know how!"

_Let me go!_

"NO!" Narcissus screamed. But his love was relentless.

_RELEASE ME!_

Narcissus could not bear it any longer. He pulled his dagger from its sheath, and saw his love do the same. "There must be another way!"

_No! There is not! You must!_

"Please, do not make me!

_You must! If not for me, then for you!_

"I cannot kill you!"

_Then kill yourself!_

Coldness spread through his limbs. Narcissus looked down numbly and saw blood spread from where he had shoved the dagger into himself. His love looked up at him, expression one of immeasurable thanks. He knew the same expression decorated his own face.

_Thank you, my darling._

Narcissus fell back, looking at the sky. Oddly, there was no pain. He opened his eyes with difficulty, and glanced back at the pool where his love had been for so many days.

It was empty.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The narcissus flower grew upon the banks of the pool, face forever turned to it's own reflection.

* * *

Thank you for reading. You know where the review button is (don't you? Is it just another figment of my imagination?!? EEEEEEE!). 


End file.
